Electrical switches are used for switching electric currents. One class of electrical switches is what are referred to as power switches, which can typically switch currents of 100 A and more.
Power switches are typically accommodated in a housing. The individual phases of the currents are typically switched in what are referred to as pole cassettes. To this end a pole cassette comprises a housing in which are accommodated one movable contact and one fixed contact, which can be mechanically moved apart or bought together for switching off or switching on the currents. When the fixed and movable contact of a pole cassette are moved apart an arc occurs, which is typically extinguished in what is referred to as an extinction chamber.
The arc ionizes the gas of the extinction chamber and generates an overpressure in the extinction chamber which is equivalent to the arc energy. The ionized gas which heats up greatly during ionization, because of the overpressure generated, can flow out of the extinction chamber through the exhaust ducts provided for the purpose.
Also known are power switches which do not contain any pole cassettes but contain movable and fixed contacts directly in their housing. The pole cassettes of the individual phases of the currents are coupled to one another by means of a so-called switching shaft. The effect of this switching shaft is that, on detection of a short circuit in one phase and thus in one pole cassette and the opening of movable and fixed contact of this pole cassette, the other pole cassettes are likewise tripped. In addition the switching shaft ensures that all phases of a power switch can be mechanically switched on or switched off by means of a handle. For power switches without pole cassettes movable and fixed contact of the individual phases are likewise coupled to one another via a switching shaft.
What are referred to as auxiliary switches are also accommodated in the housing of a power switch—if necessary next to the pole cassettes. These auxiliary switches interact with the different components of a power switch for interrogation or analysis of the states of these components.
For example the auxiliary switch can interact with the handle of the power switch and interrogate the position of the handle of the power switch and for example forward the results of the interrogation electrically to a subordinate device in the power switch or externally.
Previous power switches have been constructed so that they are optimized for their function of interrogating or analyzing the position of a component of the power switch. Different auxiliary switches, which are tailored in each case to the elements to be interrogated or to be analyzed, have thus been required for different interrogations or analyses of different components of a power switch. This has meant that previously a comprehensive range of auxiliary switches in different mechanical designs has had to be kept in stock for each power switch type.